Session 264 - Political Maneuvers
General Summary
23rd to the 27th of Azura (First Month of Autumn) 725TR
The story so far
The Heroes have foiled a sinister plan to burn down a good portion of the city along with hundreds of Larani worshipers. The conspirators were Senator Harlen Orde, a fanatical worshiper of the evil fire god Agrik, and High Priestess Albalny Sunis. Avon has allied with the High Priestess, covering up her involvement for political support and blaming the hapless Senator Harlen Orde.
Senator Harlen Orde died of a heart attack in the Senate chamber while being questioned. His death was no accident, he was poisoned, and Senator Avon was responsible.
This is the continuation of Session 263 - A New Senator Arises.
Location - The City of Coranan in the Thardic Republic.
Part 1 - Political Entanglement
Senator Avon, a Captain of the Red Guard, decides to remain in the elite legion until the end of the year when his term expires. This causes some difficulties as a man of his station should be in a more senior leadership role. Therefore his commander, Warden Azikain Gelber, decides to promote him to Acting Deputy Warden and relieve him of his day-to-day duties. He now deals with political issues and does far less actual work.
With time on his hands, Avon receives a visitor at his townhouse, his neighbor, the sinister Senator Tuvoth Rylen, who openly worships the evil god of chaos and death, Morgath.
After congratulations, Senator Tuvoth discusses politics. The Senate, which usually convenes in Winter, has been called early this year to deal with a serious leadership crisis. Marshal Kronas Elernin is making his play to become the supreme ruler of the Republic, wanting to be voted King or Emperor and may well have the numbers. Surprisingly, Senator Tuvoth opposes this and does not want the power to be invested in dynastic bloodlines. Although he believes the Republic should always have a strong "great man" in power, he considers such power fades over time as successors will not be as capable as the founders of the dynasty.
Instead, he proposes the creation of the position of Dictator to be voted in by the Senate and last for a defined period, a 3-year term. This ensures strong leadership is renewed as needed in a crisis. To appease the Kronas's supporters, the Marshal would be nominated as the Republic's first Dictator. Senator Tuvoth believes this compromise could sway most of the Senatorial factions to his side. Can the Senator rely on Avon's support? Avon feigns interest in the proposal but tactfully remains uncommitted.
Part 2 – The Return of the Dead Men
Meanwhile, one of Acheron's informants, the Embalmer Marden Lenian, makes contact. He has learned that the unscrupulous mercenary army, the Company of Dead Men, is massing around the city. Their barracks overflow, and they are renting buildings in the city's outlying villages. By coincidence, Senator Tuvoth is part owner of that evil organization.
Acheron's fine military mind assesses the situation. The Dead Men are well placed to seize key government buildings if activated. He speculates if things don't go Senator Tuvoth's way in the Senate, a coup may be in the works.
Part 3 - Assassination Attempt
The Party arrives at the Kuseme Castle to be met by the Marshal's worried son Senator Ryburn Elernin. The Marshal was found slumped on his desk, near death, with no apparent injuries. An expert healer from the Church of Peoni, Matron Aggatha has been called.
The good Matron describes the symptoms. The Marshal is unconscious with a weak pulse, barely breathing. He is unresponsive, but discrepancies were noted; slight discoloration marks on his back. These remind Acheron of the injuries inflicted by the magical thief Yureb, who he adventured with briefly. Yureb used a Shadow Blade in combat.
When questioned, Senator Ryburn explains the ring was war booty captured during the Marshal's recent subjugation of the Tulwyn Barbarians. He said wearing it at night allowed him to travel in his dreams. Jolanta, an expert in Psionic Lore, is confident that this is consistent with the Psionic Talent of Disembodiment, the ability to travel ethereally.
Jolanta casts Ashen Memories, a ritual spell that replays the most significant event that occurred while a flame was burning using ash from candles used last night. She has the following vision.
Mashal Kronas is working at his desk when there is a knock at the door. His son Ryburn enters. They have a brief discussion when, materializing out of the shadow behind him, a man appears. Jolanta recognizes Halidon, a former Argent Order knight now an undead Amorvin. He stabs the Marshal in the back with a blade made of darkness. As he slumps onto the desk, Ryburn's face softens and changes, turning into that of the shape-shifter only known as Juanito. The two men talk. Halidon, gloating, brings out a small black stone marble and breaks it, releasing a trapped Shadowy Demonic entity. This fiend attempts to possess the Marshal's body but cannot. The confused men ask why and the vision ends.
Jolanta knows if the Marshal has used disembodiment, his spirit would be in the Ethereal Plane, but a small portion is tethered to his body. She speculated that this was why the Shadow Demon could not possess his body, and in frustration, the would-be assassins must have taken the Marshal's ring.
Acheron Divine Sense reveals a residue of evil necromantic magic in the room, and he cannot help but notice an unusual number of bugs crawling on the floor.
Matron Aggatha informs the Party that they must find Marshal Kronas's spirit in the Ethereal Plane to save him. Her church has rarely used rituals to send people's spirits into this world but warns that it is hazardous and filled with spirits, demons, wraiths, and ghosts. The heroes take up her offer, and a powerful ritual is enacted. They are propelled into the Ethereal Plane.
Location - The Ethereal Plane concordant with the City of Coranan.
Part 4 – A Ghostly Existence
The Ethereal Plane is a reality that touches the real world. The Heroes note strange, almost mesmerizing, lights and the semi-transparent outlining of buildings, a mirror of the material world. Occasionally they catch glimpses of people in the real world going about their daily life. Jolanta uses her magic to sense the location of Marshal Kronas, and he is in an area that overlaps with the real world at the Chamber of Red Domes and the Senate Hall.
Although this world appears empty of life at first, it is inhabited. Deformed ugly flying creatures with pathetic tiny wings and enormous spiked tongues emerge through the semi-transparent walls of the city's buildings. They close on the adventurers and expel thousand of tiny soul-burning shards. Jolanta traps them as one in a Mental Prison, and both are destroyed. However, Acheron's flashy Spirit Guardians glow like a beacon drawing attention. A creature, appearing as a combination of wyvern and octopus, glides in and blasts the heroes with Mental Blasts. It is dangerous; however, after swooping too close, is trapped by one of Acheron's Sentinel Strikes and then hacked to pieces before it can retreat and cause more headaches.
As the Party gets closer to the Senate building, they note ethereal bugs are everywhere.
Part 5 – A Demon and His Swarms.
But before the heroes can get there, six smaller, four-armed versions of the Demon block their way. These summon swarms of insects but are quickly cut down by the heroes.
The Demon shows interest in the interlopers and saunters forward. He catches most of the group in a Cloudkill, and Acheron finds to his horror, his enchanted armor, which usually grants him resistance to poison, fails to function. The Demon vomits massive swarms of stinging, poisonous insects, nearly killing Moneypenny. Avon dashes forward, resisting the Demon's Aura of Fear, stabbing a painful thrust with his rapier into its side, but is forced to retreat after being poisoned.
Having escaped the Cloudkill, Jolanta and Acheron are bombarded with poisonous blasts. Blaine attempts to charge forward only to be overcome by fear, unable to attack with his enchanted sword Orc Bleeder. The Demon approaches Acheron, who, thanks to his Protection from Evil, resists the fear and avoids most of the Demon's melee strikes except its bite. He receives a curse for his efforts, and no magical healing will now work on him.
The Demon blasts him with more poison, so the badly injured Acheron decides on total offense. He Quickens a Haste spell and attacks in a blur. All his strikes land and are backed up by his most powerful Holy Smites. The divine energy tears into the rotten flesh of the Demon. Unfortunately, it is not enough, although he has severely injured the fiend. A mere second before it retaliates, Moneypenny, still groggy from the poison, launches her Eldritch Bolts. Four deadly missiles blaze out of her hands; the first two miss but the remaining strike home. The Demon is destroyed by the last.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Challenges Overcome
2 x Devouring Angels.
1 x Catonoctrix.
Defeated Arbeyach, Prince of Swarms, and 6 x Arbeyach Spawn.
Rewards
Nothing this week.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Senators of the Thardic Republic.
Player Character Status
Acheron - Human - L7 Devotion Paladin, L4 Hexblade, and L8 Divine Soul - Gained Level.
Jolanta - Human - L19 Evoker - Gained Level.
Avon - Half-Elf - L19 Thief - Gained Level.
Next Session
Avon
Jolanta
Acheron
NPC Companions
Moneypenny
Avon's able assistant
Blaine
Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.
The Company of Dead Men
An evil mercenary company usually employed by the church of Morgath.
Ring of Mystic Wonder
Appearance: These rings usually have a purple gem in a simple setting.
Attunement: Required.
Properties: A wearer gains a randomly-generated psionics talent for as long as the ring is worn. A ring always grants the same psionic talent.
Once the ring has been consistently worn, it may confer the psionic talent permanently if the wearer makes a DC20 Charisma check. These checks can be made each time the wearer gains a level. Some rings are faulty and can cause madness or loss of psionic talents.
Charges: N/A.
Psionic Talent - Disembodiment
You can detach your spirit from the body and enter the Ethereal plane.
After 10 minutes of meditation, you can detach your spirit from your body and enter the ethereal plane, similar to a ghost. Your body enters a state of suspended animation (although vulnerable to being possessed by other ethereal entities). Your movement rate is 30ft, and you can move through non-magical solid objects as if it were difficult terrain. You can see all nearby objects and entities on the ethereal plane but only glimmers of the real world. You can interact with other ethereal entities and use some of your magical and psionic abilities. This is extremely dangerous.
You can use this ability once per long rest, and it lasts 1 minute per character level, and at the end of the duration or as an action, you instantly return to your body. Any damage your spirit takes will be applied to your body as Psychic damage when you return.
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